Last week I turned 27. I spent my birthday surrounded by friends and family in NYC, and am so lucky to have such amazing, inspiring, fierce and beautiful women in my life! These ladies have been there for me physically and emotionally while I’ve dealt with some health issues this past year and a half.
And as you may have noticed, it’s been quite some time since I’ve posted here. Over the past year or so I’ve been struggling with everything from extreme fatigue and lower back pain, to weight loss, frequent trips to the bathroom, and severe bloating and distension after eating and drinking. [And all of this is apparently in addition to my Crohn’s disease].
When I say I am dealing with severe distension, this is what I mean. Upon waking, if lucky, my stomach has flattened out, but as I eat throughout the day it becomes more and more distended, until it looks like I’m a few months pregnant.
Needless to say, with all of these stomach issues I’ve also had a lack of appetite, which has led to my passion for food and experimenting in the kitchen to become practically nonexistent…And also contributed to why I haven’t blogged in a year.
I wanted to write this post today because as a blogger and a health professional I think it’s important to be honest about both your struggles and successes. I think sharing your personal story and journey towards health has the potential to resonate with others, and maybe even help them. At least to let them know they’re not alone, and that this too shall pass.
With all that said, entering my 27th year I want to focus on positivity, gratitude, and being present. Although the stomach issues are still a daily occurrence, I’ve had an empowering mental shift which makes me believe that the year ahead will be my best one yet.
One reason I’m excited about this year, is that I finally had the courage to invest in myself and my potential, and I enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN)! In one year I will be a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach! For years now, I’ve let my fears drive my life. I focused more on the negative “what ifs…?” than the positive ones. Instead of being confident in myself and my abilities, I always found a way to convince myself they weren’t enough to really make a difference. Unfortunately, I think this mindset is quite common in women, and that is part of the reason I decided to go back to school.
Ready to rock my first IIN class!
Being a Certified Health Coach will complement my Master of Public Health Nutrition degree, and allow me to do what I’ve always wanted to: help people achieve greater health and happiness by guiding them through holistic processes specifically tailored to them as an individual. And also helping them to see how truly strong and invaluable they are.
In a nutshell, a lot has gone on this past year. But as this one starts anew, I hope to get back in the routine of sharing with you all the wonderful things I learn in school, delicious plant-based recipes, and life in general! Thank you all for following along and please reach out if you ever want to chat :)
XO,
Sydney
just water please 
Welcome back! I hope you begin to feel better soon. I am giving keto a try now for inflammatory illnesses I’ve been experiencing. I had success with paleo and feel great. Just going to try a step further to see if there is any benefit. It’s been hard reconciling eating so much meat, but I try to find the most ethical, cruelty-free sources and my body is finally healing. Figuring out what works for you is a difficult journey and I wish you all the best :)
Happy birthday!
Thank you Kiara!! I just heard of keto recently, and I think it would be worth giving it a shot. I’m glad you’ve been feeling better on paleo, it often takes lots of experimenting to find what works for you! I appreciate your sweet comment and hope you continue feeling wonderful :) Have a great day!